Is the South African media unwittingly perpetuating the racism crisis facing the country?
This is one of the dominant questions highlighted at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) Racism Dialogue‚ held in Centurion on Wednesday.
In light of increasing public incidences of racism within the past year‚ the council has embarked on a series of discussions around racism and the different roleplayers in the greater conversation‚ starting with the media and its role.
Key media practitioners such as Justice Malala‚ Angelo Fick‚ Khadija Patel and Piet Rampedi form the panel spearheading the discussion‚ with renowned broadcast journalist Siki Mgabadeli as mediator.
The discussion started off with Mgabadeli saying that figuring out how it is that South Africa got to this point — where racism is so rife — is necessary and whether it is indeed a new development.
“Have we ever really left the place that we are in?” she asked.
Malala‚ the first panellist‚ spoke of the structure of South African newsrooms‚ saying “transformation in South African newsrooms has been lacking“‚ and intimating the influence that this‚ too‚ has on the way racism is reported on.
Fick added that the media need to be clear on their role regarding race and racism reportage.
As media practitioners‚ “the purpose is to look at how race is used to make sense of the world and not to use race to make sense of the world“‚ he said.
Patel and Rampedi brought to the fore the wider crisis of the racism discussion in the country.
“We have a problem with the way we discuss racism in South Africa“‚ said Patel‚ adding that the country has yet to find a space where race and racism discussions can take place openly and freely.
In a no-holds-barred approach to the conversation‚ Rampedi said that the issue lies in that “we have people who are not willing to admit they have a problem — which is the majority of white people“.
“It’s like drug addicts... You have to admit that you have a problem first“‚ he said.
He added that the continued theme of “denialism” regarding racist behaviour and black people being told to “get over it” and “stop being sensitive” perpetuates the problem.
“When I‚ as a black person‚ say you are hurting me‚ you can’t want to tell me how to feel“‚ he said.
Rampedi added that mainstream media‚ through the way its reported on race and racism‚ has been “complicit” in the continued racism in the country‚ adding that the media itself is not immune to the impact of racism‚ both within newsrooms as well as through its reporting. — Tiso Black Star Group Digital/The Times
Panel tackles how media reports on race and racism
This is one of the dominant questions highlighted at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) Racism Dialogue‚ held in Centurion on Wednesday.
In light of increasing public incidences of racism within the past year‚ the council has embarked on a series of discussions around racism and the different roleplayers in the greater conversation‚ starting with the media and its role.
Key media practitioners such as Justice Malala‚ Angelo Fick‚ Khadija Patel and Piet Rampedi form the panel spearheading the discussion‚ with renowned broadcast journalist Siki Mgabadeli as mediator.
The discussion started off with Mgabadeli saying that figuring out how it is that South Africa got to this point — where racism is so rife — is necessary and whether it is indeed a new development.
“Have we ever really left the place that we are in?” she asked.
Malala‚ the first panellist‚ spoke of the structure of South African newsrooms‚ saying “transformation in South African newsrooms has been lacking“‚ and intimating the influence that this‚ too‚ has on the way racism is reported on.
Fick added that the media need to be clear on their role regarding race and racism reportage.
As media practitioners‚ “the purpose is to look at how race is used to make sense of the world and not to use race to make sense of the world“‚ he said.
Patel and Rampedi brought to the fore the wider crisis of the racism discussion in the country.
“We have a problem with the way we discuss racism in South Africa“‚ said Patel‚ adding that the country has yet to find a space where race and racism discussions can take place openly and freely.
In a no-holds-barred approach to the conversation‚ Rampedi said that the issue lies in that “we have people who are not willing to admit they have a problem — which is the majority of white people“.
“It’s like drug addicts... You have to admit that you have a problem first“‚ he said.
He added that the continued theme of “denialism” regarding racist behaviour and black people being told to “get over it” and “stop being sensitive” perpetuates the problem.
“When I‚ as a black person‚ say you are hurting me‚ you can’t want to tell me how to feel“‚ he said.
Rampedi added that mainstream media‚ through the way its reported on race and racism‚ has been “complicit” in the continued racism in the country‚ adding that the media itself is not immune to the impact of racism‚ both within newsrooms as well as through its reporting. — Tiso Black Star Group Digital/The Times
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